Nukes and guns
Nukes and guns
In the Second Amendment, there is no mention of guns or just guns. In today’s world, the enemies of this free state are equipped with nukes and biochemical weapons. How could people with just guns effectively protect this country?
Nukes don’t kill people. People kill people.
Under the right protected by the Second Amendment, shouldn’t everyone have the right to own nukes and biochemical weapons? Nobody is lobbying for nukes because there is no chance for them to be successful or profitable from their efforts. Otherwise, we would have a National Nukes Association, with a large number of nuke-owner memberships, who would be fooled to defend the profit of the weapon industries.
The lack of support for nuke rights is lucky for us. Because we have to bear the consequences of their business.
Lo-Li Chih
Keaau
Aid in dying
Senate Bill 1129, a bill to legalize medical assistance in dying for qualifying terminally ill patients, passed a state Senate vote in 2016 but did not emerge from the House Committee on Health during the past legislative session. This failure to pass came about in spite of the results of a poll conducted by Anthology Marketing Group in the same year which showed that 80 percent of Hawaii voters favored passage of such a bill.
I think I have a basic right to determine at least some of the conditions under which I will die. I probably will want to be free of pain and to be able to take measures that will ease my death, with the assistance of trained medical personnel, at the appropriate time.
This is a very personal matter, and the state should not interfere with how I choose to die. Mine is certainly not everybody’s attitude and desire, but I ask that others respect my position; it does not effect anyone other than myself and my family, and they respect my position.
Medical aid in dying is not an open invitation to suicide. It is not the start of a slippery slope. SB 1129 identifies who, when, under what conditions, etc., such legal medical aid can be dispensed.
If you think the limitations and safeguards already incorporated in the bill are insufficient, let your legislators know what other safeguards you think should be incorporated so they can make changes and pass an amended bill.
Four other states already have passed similar legislation, and the courts in two others have made decisions in favor of aid in dying under limited conditions such as Hawaii is considering.
Stephen Gross
Hilo